Alfred Adler the third child in a family of five boys and two girls was born in 1870. Adler’s childhood was an unhappy one as he was sickly. He almost died at the age of four from pneumonia so as a result he decided to become a doctor. His specialized area was in neurology and psychiatry. Alfred Adler died in 1937. Adler was a major contributor to the development of the psychodynamic approach to therapy. He stressed the unity of personality contending that people could be understood as integrated and complete beings. This view explains that the direction in which we are heading is far more important than where we came from. One of Adler’s key concepts is how he viewed human nature. Adler abandoned Freud’s basic theories because he believed that Freud was excessively narrow in his stress on biological and instinctual determination. However, like Freud, Adler believed that what the individual became in adult life was largely influenced by the first six years of their lives. I was taught this in teachers college and now I am out in the field, I do believe this to be true. It’s like you get them as blank slates as John Locke said and you have to write on it positively if we want productive human beings. He believed that behaviour is purposeful, goal oriented and that consciousness not the unconscious is the centre of personality. Adler stress choice and responsibility, meaning of life and the striving for success or perfection, unlike Freud. His perspective was that humans were not merely determined by hereditary and environment instead they have the capacity to interpret, influence, and create events. He also believed that what we were born with was not the central issue but what we do with the abilities we posses, is most crucial. Subjective perception of reality is another key concept of the Adlerian therapy. Adler attempted to view the world from the client’s subjective frame of reference, an orientation described as phenomenological in that it pays attentions to the individual way in which people perceive their world. This subjective reality includes the individual’s perceptions, beliefs and conclusions. In addition, unity and patterns of human personality is another view of Alfred Adler. The human personality becomes unified through the life goal because an individual’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs, convictions, attitudes, character and actions are expressions of his or her uniqueness and all reflect a plan of life that allows for the movement toward a self-selected life goal. Social interest and community feeling is probably Adler’s most significant and distinctive concept (Corey, 1991). The term refers to an individual’s awareness of being a part of the human community and to the individual’s attitudes in dealing with the social world; which includes striving for a better future for humanity (Corey, 1991). Adler equated social interest with a sense of identification and empathy with others: ‘to see with the eyes of another, to hear with the ears of another, to feel with the heart of another” (Corey, 1991, p.140) because the degree to which we successfully share with others and are concerned with the welfare of others is a measure of mental health (Sherman & Dinkmeyer, 1987, p. 12). From the Adlerian perspective, as social interest develops, the individual’s feelings of inferiority and alienation diminish because people express social interest through shared activity and mutual respect and they develop on the useful side of life. A basic premise of the Adlerian approach is the Individual Psychology. This approach rests on a central belief that our happiness and success are largely related to this social connectedness because we are part of a society and we cannot be understood in isolation...

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...﻿Critically Evaluating Adleriantherapy
Student No. 12019445
Module: Play therapy skills
Word Count: 1648
Introduction
“ Birds fly, fish swim, and children play”
Garry Landreth
Play has an important role in children’s lives they develop emotionally, cognitively, physically through play. Play therapy is an intervention for children with behavioral and emotional problems. It is not a cure for children but it is an emotional and behavioral development in which the child comes to self-actualization. The first documented use of therapeutic play was Sigmund’s Freud’s “Little Hans” report (Landreth, 2012). Since then different models of play therapies have been developed. The focus of this report will be on description of Adleriantherapy. It will investigate the client group of this model. Describes the critical evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of the model. In conclusion, even though this is a unique model because it has taken different approach there is lack of research and literature on the model.
Description of the model:
Adlerian psychology was introduced at Freudian school known as school of individual psychologist by a psychotherapist named Alfred Adler. The individual psychologist’s aim is to understand individual style of life as a part of whole (Adler, 1964). Adler believed the child’s play reflect his or...

...Running Head: AdlerianTherapyAdlerianTherapy: An Introduction
Humans are motivated by social interest, by striving toward goals, and by dealing with the tasks of life. Emphasis is on the individuals’ positive capacities to live in society cooperatively. People have the capacity to interpret, influence, and create events. Each person at an early age creates a unique style of life, which tends to remain relatively constant throughout life.
Key Concepts
Adleriantherapy stresses the unity of personality, the need to view people from their subjective perspective, and the importance of life goals that give direction to behavior (Ferguson, 1984, p.6). People are motivated by social interest and by finding goals to give life meaning. Other key concepts include striving for significance and superiority, developing a unique lifestyle, and understanding the family constellation. Therapy is a matter of providing encouragement and assisting clients in changing their cognitive perspective.
Goals of Therapy
The goal of Adleriantherapy is to challenge the client’s basic premises and life goals, to offer encouragement so individuals can develop socially, and to develop the client’s sense of belonging.
Treatment Approach
Adleriantherapy focuses on...

...Adler’s (1870-1937) early childhood struggles of poor health, physical limitations, feelings of inferiority, and relationship problems with his siblings had influence on the development of his theory. AdlerianTherapy is a growth model which emphasizes an optimistic outlook on human nature and confirms that people have power over their own fate and are not victims to it. Unlike Freud, Adler stresses choice and responsibility, meaning in life, and the striving for success, completion, and perfection. Adler believed that human behavior is not determined solely by heredity and environment, and that people have the capacity to interpret, influence and create their own life events.
The Adlerian Therapist uses a lifestyle assessment to gather as much family history as possible because Adler’s view believed that in order to understand people; one must first understand the systems of which they are part. The lifestyle assessment is holistic and systemic, including family constellation, early recollections, and priorities. The plan of life or style of life is the core recurring pattern of perceiving, thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterizes the client’s unique attitude toward the tasks of life. After the client summarizes and interprets this information, the Adlerian Therapist will help the client identify self-defeating views and faulty conclusions about his or her life. The information the counselor...

...and weakness of AdlerianTherapy
Shane Wilson
Rio Salado Collage
AdlerianTherapy, which is based on the theory’s of Alfred Adler, points to the essence of normality as having a feeling of concern for others and places emphasis on social interests, the family dynamic, and ones influence based on early memories in life. Adler also placed emphasis on the order of one’s birth within the family such as whether one was the first, second, last, or only child born. His approach was centered on such subjects as lifestyle, beliefs and fictions, psychological environment and a person’s approach toward there striving for completeness and wholeness.
With the goals of Adlerian counseling revolving around helping people develop healthy holistic life styles, it can be looked at as being a very versatile. Particularly when kept in mind that with any approach; the ideal result is for the client to be living a healthy well rounded and complete life. This is what the Adlerian method aims for. A noticeable strength of Adleriantherapy is that many of it concepts can be applied toward different cultural groups. This includes the concept of encouragement as it is expressed between the counselor and the client which is appropriate with Hispanic and Asian groups who traditionally emphasize collaboration. Additionally, the concept of sibling rivalry that is highlighted with...

...GROUP PROCESS
(AdlerianTherapy)
According to Glanz and Hayes (1967) Group Counseling and group terapy are almost contradictory concepts to he individual not familiar with the detailed practices present and groups, counceling, and therapy. multiple counseling, group guidance, and the lmost interchangeble use of counseling and psychotherapy have added to the uncertainty of the dimensions and true nature of these new concepts.Adlerian in Group Counseling
According to Corey (202) Adler was a politically and socially oriented psychiatrist who showed great concern for the common person. Indeed, many of his early clients were working-class people who struggled to make a living, raise and educate their children, and make a difference in society. Part of Adler’s mission was to bring psychological understanding to the general population and to translate psychological concepts into practical methods for helping a varied population meet the challenges of everyday life. Alfred Adler made signifi cant contributions to contemporary therapeutic practice. Adler believed in the social nature of human beings, and he was interested in working with clients in a group context. He established more than 30 child guidance clinics in which he pioneered live demonstrations by interviewing children, adults, teachers, and parents in front of community groups. He was the fi rst psychiatrist to use group methods in a systematic way in child...

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Comparison of Psychoanalytic Therapy and AdlerianTherapy
Comparison of Psychoanalytic Therapy and AdlerianTherapy
Psychoanalytic Therapy
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was the founder of the study of psychoanalysis also known as the unconscious mind. Freud devoted most of his life formulating his theory of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis assumes a hierarchy of levels of consciousness: conscious and unconsciousness. Conscious is the part of the mind that holds what we’re aware of. Unconscious stores all experiences, memories, and repressed material, and it has influences on our actions and our conscious behavior (Corey, 2013 p.66). The psychoanalytic approach include the structure of a mental framework of personality that being the Id, ego, superego, three connecting systems that constantly interact with one another in order to regulate the behavior of the individual. The Id is the primary source of psychic energy and the seat of the instincts. It is ruled by the pleasure principle, which is aimed at reducing tension, avoiding pain, and gaining pleasure (Corey, 2013 p. 65) The ego is the component that is responsible for dealing with reality. It is ruled by the reality principle, the ego does realistic and logical thinking and formulates plans of action for satisfying needs (Corey, 2013 p. 65) The ego develops from the id to ensure that the impulses of...

...Shelby Stengle
CNCO 6352
Interpretative Paper
Adlerian Theory
June 18, 2009
Introduction and Background:
Adlerian theory is historically noted for being the first major philisophical theory to break from the beliefs of Sigmund Freud. Originated by Alfred Adler, who was born on February 7, 1870 and raised in a middle-class Hungarian-Jewish family, this theory is deeply rooted in the early life experiences of it’s founder. Aldler’s formative years were riddled with illnesses and traumatic experiences which he would later view as inferiorities and use as the basic premise of his theories – that human beings are constantly striving to overcome their weaknesses (inferiorities) and grow stronger (more superior).
In this paper I will explain the background of Adlerian theory, give an overview of the key elements that make up this theory, and then reflect on my personal interpretation of Adlerian theory.
Conceptual Components:
There are four major tenets that comprise Adler’s theory of psychology: style of life, social interest, striving for superiority, and birth order. The first tenet, style of life, is a way of adapting to life that is developed at an early age and like Freud, Adler believed that this style of life would be fully formed by the age of six. Every action and reaction after the age of six would be a reflection of one’s lifestyle. Alder believed the...

...Mid-Life Transition: An Adlerian Perspective in Therapy
Title: The Case of Sally: An Adlerian Perspective in Therapy
Author:
Document Type: Article
Subject Terms: Psychology; Adler; Adlerian
Abstract: Examines the counseling case of Sally in perspective of an Adlerian view. Sally’s somatic complaints and mistaken beliefs allows Adlerian technique to help her to experience a full life including career and social connections. Adlerian assumptions: Interpreting Sally’s record; Effect of Sally’s Birth order; Tasks for the counselor.
Full Text Word Count:
Sally’s predominant reason for coming to counseling is to alleviate a number of somatic complaints such as panic, anxiety, and possibly depression. Her physical symptoms have included: hot flashes, cold sweats, shortness of breath, tremors, fainting, heart racing, fears dying of heart attack, shakes, hot flashes, and cold sweats. Although there was no stated medical causes, hot flashes could be the beginnings of peri-menopause due to her age being 39 years old and although early, hormonal changes could be contributing to her distress.
I chose an Adlerian approach because Sally needs immediate help as panic can be debilitating and frightening and an Adlerian therapist can get to the core issues quicker than could a psychoanalytic approach. I...